Thursday, April 20
1. Bikini Kill: At last, the mighty trio from Olympia, Wash., that helped make the '90s riot-grrrl movement both a musical and sociopolitical success is coming our way on a reunion outing that started back in 2019. Frontwoman Kathleen Hanna and her "Rebel Girl"-cranking bandmates have been tearing through two dozen songs in under 90 minutes from throughout their original seven-year run at recent shows, all with plenty relevant still to say in the tunes and between them about current affairs. Here's hoping the all-ages admission policy gets a new generation of fans to take in this rare local appearance and not just Gen-Xers. Chicago's CB Radio Gorgeous opens. (7 p.m. Palace Theatre, 17 W. 7th Place, St. Paul, $50 & up, axs.com)
2. Lizzy McAlpine: The Philadelphia singer-songwriter, 23, has been gaining traction with her "sad girl" songs, thanks to TikTok, NPR's Tiny Desk Concert and her "Hold On" featured on "Dear Edward" on Apple TV Plus. The stark tunes on her sophomore album, last year's "Five Seconds Flat," are detailed descriptions of relationships that have mostly let McAlpine down. But fans have her back. Tens of thousands of videos featuring a sped-up version of her doleful dream "Ceilings" — usually depicting girls in the rain — have garnered more than 235 million views. McAlpine impresses with the dark humor of "Doomsday" and the forlorn "Chemtrails," a salute to her late dad. (7 p.m. First Avenue, 701 1st Av. N., Mpls., $29.50, axs.com)
3. Lewis Capaldi: The Scottish singer of the 2019 smash "Someone You Loved" is previewing his sophomore album, "Broken by Desire to Be Heavenly Sent," due May 19, with what was intended as a making-of-the-album documentary on Netflix. But something happened during COVID-19, as the film "How I'm Feeling Now" illustrates. The 26-year-old is a complicated talent, a mix of self-deprecation and self-doubt who discovers he's suffering from Tourette syndrome and imposter syndrome. Besides the doc, Capaldi also has released three new emo pop songs, the best of which is a power ballad that is the movie's title track. (8 p.m. the Armory, 500 S. 6th St., Mpls., $37.50 and up, ticketmaster.com)
4. St. Paul Chamber Orchestra: South African cellist Abel Selaocoe's 2022 SPCO debut became one of the most talked-about classical concerts of the year, a boundary-busting combination of expert playing, singing, dancing and audience participation. He's now an SPCO artistic partner, beginning with a 75-minute intermission-less program that mixes his own compositions with Beethoven, Cristobal de Morales and Luciano Berio. (7:30 p.m. Temple Israel, 2323 Fremont Ave. S., Mpls., also 8 p.m. Fri. Wayzata Community Church, 125 Wayzata Blvd. E., Wayzata; 8 p.m. Sat. St. Paul's United Church of Christ, 900 Summit Ave., St. Paul; 3 p.m. Sun. St. Andrew's Lutheran Church, 900 Stillwater Road, Mahtomedi, free-$26, thespco.org.)
Also: Dave Pirner and his modern Soul Asylum lineup will mark the 30th anniversary Record Store Day LP issue of the band's 1993 "MTV Unplugged" performance with a similar show featuring keyboard legend Ivan Neville, strings and a choir (7:30 p.m. State Theatre, $43-$153); Colt Ford, known for the '10s hits "The High Life" and "Drivin' Around Song," arrives with his country/rap (8 p.m. Varsity Theater, $27.50); arty, throbby British rock band Placebo plays its first Twin Cities gig in nine years touting a new album, "Never Let Me Go" (8 p.m. Fillmore, $35); Blazin' Blues and BBQ smokes with Left Lane Cruiser, Kent Burnside and Alexander Craig & the Lifters (7 p.m. Hook and Ladder, $20-$25); you can never get too much of the late R&B superstar Luther Vandross on his birthday weekend, which features Minnesota mainstays Jay Bee, LaMont Keten, Patty Lacy, Erica West, Kathleen Johnson and Cornisha Garmon (7 p.m., also 8 p.m. Fri. Crooners, $30-$45); Twin Cities crooner Wayne Anthony debuts his 17-piece Ballare Orchestra under the direction of Adi Yeshaya (7 p.m. the Dakota, $35-$45).
Friday, April 21
On the seventh anniversary of Prince's death, Paisley Park presents "A Night to Remember," a night of reflection with DJ Lenka Paris (7:30 p.m. Paisley Park, $150); jazz fusion standard bearers Spyro Gyra, which saxophonist Jay Beckenstein founded in 1974, returns with new keyboardist Chris Fischer, who joined just last month (6:30 & 8:30 p.m., also Sat., the Dakota, $30-$40); Willie West, the veteran New Orleans blues and soul man who settled in Minnesota after Hurricane Katrina, celebrates his new album, "The Soul Sessions" (4:30 p.m. Crooners, $25-$35); frontman Chan Poling may be excited for the April 29 opening of his new musical, "The Defeat of Jesse James," at the History Theatre, but meanwhile he'll rock out once again with the beloved Suburbs, established in 1977, one of the Twin Cities best live bands, which released the impressive "Poets Party" in 2021; the Hang Ups, local pop vets of longstanding, open (8 p.m. First Avenue, $30-$35); romantic balladeers Los Temerarios join the line of Mexican groups playing Hennepin Ave theaters (8 p.m. State Theatre, $49-$249); Montreal's three-helmeted electronic band Black Tiger Sex Machine revs up the Armory (8 p.m., $42-$58).
Saturday, April 22
5. Record Store Day: Go for the records, stay for the live music. Or vice versa. Barely Brothers Records has the biggest live music lineup with, in order, Brian Murray, Charlie Parr, Matt Caflisch, Annie & the Bang Bang, Beebe Gallini and Boot Cut (noon-6 p.m.). Frank Randall and Paperbacks will perform at Hymie's (noon-2 p.m.). Strange Frequency and Living Waste rock Extreme Noise (2-4 p.m.). The Electric Fetus offers DJ sets by Jake Rudh, Meghan Kreidler, Dave Pirner and more (10 a.m.-5 p.m.), with a Hüsker Dü "Tonite Longhorn" signing by Greg Norton (10:30 a.m.-noon). Norton also will be at Down in the Valley (2-4 p.m.), where a "mystery band" will play at 8 p.m. And there's a collector-centric RSD party later at the Uptown Ballentine VFW with Rich Mattson & the Northstars, the Silverteens and the Silent Treatment (8:30 p.m., $10-15)
6. Sunny Day Real Estate: One of the original bands that carried the "emo" brand — but also boasted elements of Fugazi hardcore, arty guitar noodling and two future Foo Fighters — the intense Seattle indie-rock group is performing together for the first time in 12 years and earning rather rapturous reviews. Frontman Jeremy Enigk, whose turn to religion in 1994 is often blamed for the band's demise, is back with the heyday lineup save for bassist Nate Mendel, who remains in the Foo. Similarly cult-loved Kansas rockers the Appleseed Cast open. (8 p.m. First Avenue, 701 1st Av. N., Mpls., $35-$45, axs.com)